The Windy City was the next stop on the USA east(ish) coast loop, and as we all found out it isnt quite as near the east as expected. I required a 28 hour bus journey from cape cod & the guys needed a 17 hour bus from Toronto. These long journeys here made us all the more enthused to have a good time here on the shore of lake michigan.

Making the most of the time we had, we struck out for grant park where perchance a Latin Music festiival was in full swing, we stopped off and i tryed out my found salsa skills to  limited effect, all after getting soaked by the huge 150ft water stream coming out of the Buckingham fountain.

The latest addition to chicago sightseeing is also one of the biggest draws. Millenium Park is a sculpture park on a grand scale with metallic bridges, lawns, fountains and the amazingly strange Cloud Gate otherwise know as The Bean.

Thirsty from all the posing about we needed a beer, so we headed to the signature lounge, which so happens to be on the 106th floor of the Hancock tower…more posing about then.

The only logical step after drinks is food, Ginosprovided us with a Chicago Deep Dish Pizza, which was massive and tasted damn good, even if a bit much for ones shrinking stomach.

Chicago is famed not only for its windy nature and we explored all its trademarks. Lake michigan, Navy pier (from which we saw a great free fireworks display), the northern beaches which are amazingly, less than a 30 min walk from the main shopping district, Al Capone’s ganglang territories and not forgetting the first playboy mansion were each great in thier own way. Unfathomable size, tourist haven, sun soaked, hard to find and unremarkable respectively.

In my eyes chicago is one of the homes of blues music and I payed homage to this by following a trail vistitig the main sites from the best movie ever made The Blues Brothers and a trip to Buddy Guys Blues club Legends where we saw Carlos Johnson who was pretty good.

Before heading out of town we made sure we visited the Museum of Surgical Science & the chicago history museum which were both facinating. We also crammed in a trip to the Lincoln Park Zoo (Free entry..woo!).

Chicago was most definitely a Sweet Home, but the bright lights of Vegas are flashing and who are we to resist their draw!